Various arrangements of modular flooring systems having interlocking tiles to create playing surfaces have been suggested in the past. These arrangements generally include modular tiles of plastic composition which are interlocked with one another to form the playing surfaces, for instance for sports or other activities and/or purposes. The modular tiles are disposed on a supporting ground surface such as a concrete floor, asphalt or any other suitable surface.
One of the challenges in the design of sport playing surfaces made of modular tiles is that the tiles must resist the sudden lateral forces imposed during use. These forces can be the result of actions such as jumping, running, changing direction of movement, etc. Depending on the nature of the sports or the activities, tiles can be designed with a resilient construction capable of absorbing some of the forces or with only rigid parts so as to mitigate any relative movement between the tiles when subjected to lateral forces. Tiles that are entirely made of a rigid material are used in sports where the local lateral forces tend to be very high, such as in-line skating. An in-line skating rink for sports such as hockey or the like can impose very high mechanical stresses on the tiles, particularly at their connection points. Tiles having high mechanical resistance requirements must also have a realistic manufacturing cost.
Consequently, several factors have to be taken into account by designers, which in practice is very difficult using the plastic tiles of known modular flooring systems.
Room for improvements always exists in this technical area.